Legacies are a big deal on DC’s Stargirl, even if the younger characters don’t know that yet. Next, we will dive into the confirmed identities of the future ISA and JSA members.
Yes, we know! Why didn’t we post this before the first episode of Stargirl aired? Because we hadn’t thought of it until just last night. We embrace the idea of the ISA and JSA members having legacies carrying heroic or villainous torches, but who are these characters? Who are their parents, and how could they continue their legacy-driven paths?
We’ve already met some of these characters, but we’ll also review some unofficial ones. We’ll add side notes occasionally for those who have read the Stars and STRIPE comic series.
The Legacies Of The Injustice Society Of America
They might be the bad guys, but the Injustice Society know when to keep their legacies out of their quest to destroy their opponents. Almost every member of this wickedly awesome group of villains has a child who could carry their mantle if necessary. So, without ado, let’s dive in.
Henry King Jr
Parent(s): Henry King Snr & Merri King (née Pemberton)
Abilities: Telepathy and Telekinesis
When you look at Henry King Jr, you immediately see a kid who is a bully, given his status as a jock at Blue Valley High. First, he dated Yolanda before dumping her for something he wanted her to do. Then he hooked up with Cindy and got on the slut-shaming train.
We’ve also seen the pressures he is under. His father and girlfriend constantly ridicule him for what reason? Because they view him as their puppet. Henry Snr has a lot of expectations of his son, including his hope that Junior has the same powers as him.
On the other hand, Cindy has made him her lapdog, and he’s tired of it.
Will he join forces with Courtney’s JSA to take down his father and so-called girlfriend?
In The Comics
Henry King Junior was nicknamed Hank as he shared his name with his father. He was also the nephew of Sylvester Pemberton as his mother, Merry, was the Star-Spangled Kid’s sister. Hank eventually learned he had the same powers as his evil dad, Brainwave and vowed to use his powers for good. He joined his uncle for a time as Brainwave Jr, but he eventually went bad and took up the Brainwave mantle.
Fun Fact
If it is revealed that Courtney is Sylvester’s daughter and Henry Junior’s mother is Merry Pemberton, then the future-Brainwave Jr and Stargirl would be cousins. However, this has not been confirmed as accurate.
Cindy Burman
Parent(s): Dr Ito & Unknown Mother
Abilities: Enhanced Physiology
Alias: Shiv
Cynthia “Cindy” Burman is unlike the other ISA legacies. She knows that her father is Dragon King and who the other Injustice Society members and their children are. She also feels alone knowing all this information as the other kids have zero clue who their parents are. Cindy also served as a science experiment of her father’s, which explains why she has enhanced abilities in combat, healing, and the blades that come from her wrists like Wolverine.
She runs Blue Valley High as the Queen Bee. Burman and her now former BFF Jenny would win every talent contest and were head of the cheerleading team. Before Courtney arrives at BVHS, Cindy’s main competition was Yolanda Montez, who had everything she [Burman] wanted.
While Yolanda worked hard to get where she was, Cindy sabotaged her by leaking semi-nude photos to everyone in the school she had stolen from Henry Jr’s phone. This cost Montez everything, including her boyfriend and her potential role as Student Body President.
Cindy’s jealousy of Yolanda fuelled her, but it was also part of the plan set in motion by Dragon King if ‘Shiv Part One’ is any indication. She also reveals to her father that she has zero interest in Henry and wants to dump him. However, he tells her she can’t as he must know if the boy has his father’s powers.
In The Comics
Like her Stargirl counterpart, the DC Comics version of Cindy Burman/Shiv is the main adversary of Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl. She is the daughter of Dragon King. She even debuted the same year (1999) as Courtney in the Stars & STRIPE comic.
Cameron Mahkent
Parent(s): Jordan & Christine Mahkent
Abilities: Ice Breath
Of all the ISA legacies with the potential of going bad, Cameron Mahkent is one of the few that’s up in the air. Raised primarily by his paternal grandparents, with his father coming in and out, this kid is as kind as they come.
A talented artist like his late mother, Cameron took it upon himself to cover Yolanda’s locker with artistic flower designs after someone painted ‘slut’ on it. He’s even developed a liking to Courtney and has been watching her since she arrived at Blue Valley High.
In ‘Shiv Part One’, Cameron asked Courtney to Homecoming, and she said yes. Where their relationship goes from here is going to be exciting to watch. We already ship them together!
It should also be noted that Cameron has only shown that he has ice breath, as seen when he blows out the candle of the birthday cake he and his dad dedicated to Christine. He could come into his powers further later, just as Henry Jr has.
In The Comics
In the comics, Cameron becomes Icicle Junior after being overexposed to his father’s cold gun ray and follows his old man by becoming a supervillain. He would later carry on his father’s mantle of Icicle. He marries Artemis Crock, the daughter of Paula Brooks (the first Tigress) and Lawrence Crock (Sportsmaster) and has a daughter with her, Isabelle Rose Mahkent.
Isaac Bowin
Parent(s): Anaya Bowin & Unnamed OG Fiddler (possibly Isaac Bowin Senior)
Abilities: Musical Talents; no actual powers
Of all the ISA legacies on this list, Isaac is one of the few who doesn’t have special abilities. Yes, he’s a musical prodigy, but that’s not a power. He is coddled by his mother, Anaya, who has taken up his father’s place as The Fiddler.
For now, Anaya has taken up her husband’s mantle and doesn’t want her son involved with Jordan’s plan to improve America.
We haven’t seen much of him, so it’s hard to say if he’s going to become the Fiddler like in the comics.
In The Comics
Isaac Bowin was the original Fiddler in the comics, where he started as a thief and an enemy to The Flash.
Fun Fact
The Fiddler has appeared on The CW’s The Flash, but not in the way you’d expect. Like many characters in the Arrowverse, the villain was genderbent and became female and took the name Izzy Bowin, though her moniker of The Fiddler remained.
During Season 4, Izzy was a country musician who had zero interest in a life of crime when she joined forces with Clifford Devoe (The Thinker). As a result, she was one of the people who became known as the Bus Metas.
Artemis Crock
Parent(s): Lawrence “Larry” or Crusher” Crock & Paula Brooks
Abilities: Athletic abilities; not actual powers
Competitive by nature, Artemis Crock is one of the few ISA legacies that does not have actual superpowers.
The daughter of Sportsmaster and Tigress, Artemis has an athletic ability that rivals Courtney and Yolanda combined. With parents like hers, it’s no wonder she may become the second Tigress one day.
Like Isaac, Artemis has not appeared that much and mostly appeared in certain scenes’ backgrounds.
In The Comics
Artemis is the daughter of Paula Brooks “Tigress” and Lawrence “Crusher” Crock, two members of the ISA. She later assumes her mother’s mantle of Tigress and marries Cameron Mahkent, the son of Icicle. Together they have a daughter, Isabelle.
Joey Zarick
Kind-hearted Joey Zarick met a tragic end at the hands of ISA leader, Icicle. He had a close bond with his dad, William and thrived in carrying on his magician footsteps for good as he loved making people smile.
According to another of the Injustice Society’s legacies, Cameron Mahkent, Joey was well-liked amongst his peers.
Unlike his fellow ISA legacies, Joey does not have a comic book counterpart.
The Legacies Of The Justice Society Of America
Unlike their villainous counterparts, most of the new JSA are not legacies of the team’s original heroes. Though, we thought we include two; one which is official and the other which is up in the air.
Rick Tyler
Unlike the girls of the new JSA, Richard “Rick” Tyler is the only member of the latest incarnation to have a genetic tie to the original group. His dad was Rex Tyler, who served as Hourman. However, in the eyes of the public, he is Rick Harris, the son of local hothead Matt Harris who is his maternal uncle.
Having been raised by his abusive relative, Rick is always angry as he cannot publicly mourn the deaths of his parents, Rex and Wendi. However, as the only boy in the new JSA, Rick is seen to be protective over his friends, which is evident when the news of Courtney’s defeat at the hands of Cindy gets back to the group.
As the JSA’s hothead, Rick tends to take his anger out on anyone standing in his way, but Beth is seen to have an effect on him that ultimately makes him see a reason for a short time.
In The Comics
Rick Tyler in DC Comics is the son of Rex Tyler but was treated poorly by his father as his dad was barely around. In response, Rick was always trying to get his father’s approval and felt inferior to him.
He became his father’s successor during Crisis on Infinite Earths, saved Beth Chapel’s life, and became fond of her. He also married speedster Jesse Chambers with whom he had a son, Johnny, named after her father, Johnny Quick.
Courtney Whitmore
Though being unconfirmed as Sylvester Pemberton’s daughter, Courtney Whitmore is a legacy in her own right. First, she considers herself the heiress to the Star mantle as Starman’s cosmic staff bonded to her for some unknown reason. She then believes that her biological father went missing on Christmas Eve when she was five years old, and Starman’s death was the same; she thought he was her dad.
Let’s not forget that her bond to the cosmic staff made her belief that Pemberton was her father much more viable in her eyes. Her stepfather, Pat Dugan, mentions that the weapon should’ve only worked for his late best friend but had lit up for his stepdaughter.
In The Comics
Courtney Whitmore is the stepdaughter of Pat Dugan, the second Star-Spangled Kid after Sylvester Pemberton. She later becomes Stargirl and receives the cosmic staff from Ted Knight when she joins the Justice Society of America.
